On January 10, 2011 at approximately 12:05 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the one hundred (100) block of Delaware Avenue to assist Salisbury Emergency Medical Services. Upon arrival the officers observed that the victim, an elderly female, was deceased. The Wicomico County Forensic Investigator responded to the scene and due to suspicious aspects forwarded the victim to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore to determine the cause of death.
On January 11, 2011, Salisbury detectives attended the autopsy and were advised by the Medical Examiner that the victim, 87 year old Catherine Slemons of Salisbury, had died as a result of asphixiation due to strangulation. As a result of this investigation, the below listed suspect has been charged with this homicide. The suspect is a family member of the victim.
ARRESTED: Rodney Jermaine Miles, 25 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
First degree murder
Second degree murder
First degree assault
Second degree assault
Possession of a dangerous and deadly weapon
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201100001156
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Present Madness
By Jay Nordlinger - January 11, 2011
On the radio this morning, Bill Bennett and I had a discussion about the Arizona massacre, and the political use of it made by the Left in this country. A few observations.
In a way, they have won. “They”? I mean, the Krugmans, the Sullivans, the Olbermanns: “They.” They’ve won because we are on their turf, where they have dragged us, or enticed us.
The shooting in Arizona has nothing to do with politics. Nothing to do with Republicans, nothing to do with conservatism. It has nothing to do with the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, you, or me. From what we know, a young psychotic got it into his psychotic head that he would shoot the local congressman, who happened to have a “D.” after her name, rather than an “R.” But the goons and ghouls have pretended that the Republicans spurred this.
And here we are, talking about the massacre and the Republicans, the massacre and national politics, as though there were any connection between these things.
A psychotic described by his classmates as a left-wing pothead shoots a bunch of people. And in the dock is that famous left-wing pothead Sarah Palin. Great, just great. May I pose a question? If the wounded congressman were a Republican instead of a Democrat — I believe the dead judge was a Republican — would we be having a discussion about the massacre and national politics? Would anchormen be running to the scene of the crime?
Jeff Danziger has drawn another odious cartoon, the kind he has long specialized in: Out of a steaming teapot arises an assassin. Get it? The Tea Party. Cool! That’s the way the likes of Danziger want it to be, and practically need it to be. That’s the way they wish it were — no matter what the reality.
I am speaking of the following attitude: A right-winger, instead of a Communist, should have shot Kennedy. A right-winger, instead of a Palestinian immigrant, should have shot Bobby. A right-winger — a Tea Partier! — instead of a young, untreated schizo, should have shot Giffords and those others. I believe that is the attitude on display in that cartoon, and elsewhere.
To say it once more, the Left has kind of won: because we are having a discussion about the Arizona shooting and Republicanism, the Arizona shooting and Sarah Palin, which is not much different from having a discussion about the Arizona shooting and, oh, I don’t know: the price of eggs in Dakar.
Chances are, the Arizona massacre will hurt the Republican party and the Tea Party, stopping or slowing their momentum. Because the Left, “respectable” and not, has, I believe, succeeded in associating the massacre in the public mind with the “Right.” A “veteran Democratic operative” told Politico that President Obama and his team “need to deftly pin this on the Tea Partiers.” Oh, I’m not sure they have to be so deft about it. The Danziger-Krugman way will probably work just fine.
What the irresponsible Left has done in this instance — in its exploitation of a massacre — is so low, so foul, so disgusting, I barely have the words. I mean, turn Paul Wellstone’s funeral into a political rally if you want to. But this? As I said on the Bennett radio show, I’m not a blushing violet, and I know that politics is rough. But to pretend that a murder spree by a psychotic has something to do with those of us who oppose the Democrats’ health legislation and other measures — this is beyond the pale, way beyond it.
I’ve said it before: There are angels and demons on both the right and the left. Neither side has a monopoly on virtue, or its opposite. I’ve made some people chuckle by saying, “Most of the worst people I have known have been on the right. Why? Because I have known so many people on the right! My jobs have seen to that.” I know a lot of angels and demons — of different political stripes.
But the Left’s reaction to this Arizona massacre — “Mission Accomplished, Sarah Palin,” and all that? Very, very hard to take. It is indeed hard to share a conversation, a political culture, a society, with such people.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The City Council has scheduled a work session for Thursday,
January 27, 2011 (rescheduled from January 18). The work session
will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Conference Room 306 of the Government
Office Building (125 N. Division Street).
Poll: Most Don’t See Shootings Linked To Rhetoric
Most Americans apparently aren’t as worried about the heated tone of our nation’s political debate as some media pundits.
A new CBS News poll shows that 57 percent of Americans don’t think that alleged Tucson killer Jared Loughner was motivated by heated political conflict, Politico reports. A much smaller 32 percent thought he was.
More here
[It's clear that most rational people see this for what it was-- the act of one mentally-unbalanced person. --Editor]
A new CBS News poll shows that 57 percent of Americans don’t think that alleged Tucson killer Jared Loughner was motivated by heated political conflict, Politico reports. A much smaller 32 percent thought he was.
More here
[It's clear that most rational people see this for what it was-- the act of one mentally-unbalanced person. --Editor]
Wet-Pants Hysteria: NYT Calls For More Gun Control
A day after opining that "it is legitimate to hold Republicans...responsible" for the anger that has produced violent threats against politicians, the New York Times on Tuesday sounded a call for gun control.
"The ludicrously thin membrane that now passes for gun control in this country almost certainly made the Tucson tragedy worse," said the newspaper editorial. "Members of Congress are legitimately concerned about their own safety now, but they should be no less worried about the effect of their inaction on the safety of all Americans."
The editorial urges lawmakers to "stand up to the National Rifle Association and its allies," which "have made the country a far more dangerous place."
More
"The ludicrously thin membrane that now passes for gun control in this country almost certainly made the Tucson tragedy worse," said the newspaper editorial. "Members of Congress are legitimately concerned about their own safety now, but they should be no less worried about the effect of their inaction on the safety of all Americans."
The editorial urges lawmakers to "stand up to the National Rifle Association and its allies," which "have made the country a far more dangerous place."
More
College Park Officials Ready To Enforce Rent Restrictions
City begins mailing notices as landlords contemplate possible legal action
College Park officials said Tuesday they have begun enforcing the city's rent stabilization ordinance, but many landlords who oppose the law are unsure whether they will comply or seek further legal action.The ordinance, which was first passed in 2005, bars residential landlords in the city from collecting monthly rent greater than 0.6 percent of a home's assessed property value. The city had yet to enforce the law due to a 2006 lawsuit from landlords who argued it unfairly targets them because it excludes owners of high rises for students.
The suit was dismissed in 2008, and rejected by the state Court of Appeals on Aug. 25.
The city began last week mailing notices to its 1,015 registered rental properties, said city public services director Bob Ryan. Owners will have 30 days to return forms providing information on the rent they charge, and could receive a warning followed by a $500 fine if they fail to do so.
"It's a labor-intensive process," Ryan said. The city will pay staff $24,000 this fiscal year to review documents and enforce the ordinance. "The staff is competent and familiar with the ordinance, and working as a team."
Landlords ordered to lower their rents could comply or appeal to a seven-member city rent stabilization board, which would include at least two landlords and two renters to allow input from both sides.
City officials have long said the ordinance will keep housing affordable and cut down on the number of code violations ignored by absentee landlords. While the ordinance faces no current legal challenges, landlords who attended Tuesday's City Council meeting said they are in talks with attorney John Maloney, who represented landlords in the Board of Appeals case, and declined to rule out further legal action.
Landlords John Havermill and Lisa Miller argued the ordinance discriminates against students and is designed to get them out of neighborhoods and into lucrative high rises like University View and Mazza Grandmarc. City officials have estimated that 17,000 of the 37,000 students at the University of Maryland, College Park, live off-campus, but have been unable to estimate how many live in the city.
Havermill and Miller complained the complexes charge rates typically exceeding $850 a month, while landlords have said the average rate for a room in a single-family home is $500 to $600.
GO HERE to read more.
Salisbury Police Department: SAFE WINTER DRIVING
The Three P's of Safe Winter Driving:
PREPARE for the trip;
PROTECT yourself; and
PREVENT crashes on the road.
PREPARE
Maintain Your Car:
Check battery and tire tread, keep your windows clear, put nofreeze fluid in the washer reservoir, check your antifreeze.
Have On Hand:
flashlight, jumper cables, abrasive material (sand, kitty litter, even floor
mats), shovel, snow brush and ice scraper, warning devices (like flares) and
blankets. For long trips, add food and water, medication and cell phone.
Stopped or Stalled?
Stay with your car, don't over exert, put bright markers on antenna or windows and shine dome light, and, if you run your car, clear exhaust pipe and run it just enough to stay warm.
Plan Your Route:
Allow plenty of time (check the weather and leave early if necessary), be
familiar with the maps/directions, and let others know your route and arrival
time.
Practice Cold Weather Driving!
During daylight, rehearse maneuvers slowly on the ice or snow in an empty lot
Steer into a skid
Know what your brakes will do: stomp on antilock brakes, pump non-antilock brakes
Stopping distances are longer on water-covered ice and ice Don't idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space
PROTECT YOURSELF
Buckle up and use child safety seats properly
Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag
Children 12 and under are much safer in the back seat
Sit back 10 inches from an air bag
PREVENT CRASHES
Drugs and alcohol never mix with driving
Slow down and increase distances between cars
Keep your eyes open for pedestrians walking in the road
Avoid fatigue – Get plenty of rest before the trip, stop at least every three
hours, and rotate drivers if possible
PREPARE for the trip;
PROTECT yourself; and
PREVENT crashes on the road.
PREPARE
Maintain Your Car:
Check battery and tire tread, keep your windows clear, put nofreeze fluid in the washer reservoir, check your antifreeze.
Have On Hand:
flashlight, jumper cables, abrasive material (sand, kitty litter, even floor
mats), shovel, snow brush and ice scraper, warning devices (like flares) and
blankets. For long trips, add food and water, medication and cell phone.
Stopped or Stalled?
Stay with your car, don't over exert, put bright markers on antenna or windows and shine dome light, and, if you run your car, clear exhaust pipe and run it just enough to stay warm.
Plan Your Route:
Allow plenty of time (check the weather and leave early if necessary), be
familiar with the maps/directions, and let others know your route and arrival
time.
Practice Cold Weather Driving!
During daylight, rehearse maneuvers slowly on the ice or snow in an empty lot
Steer into a skid
Know what your brakes will do: stomp on antilock brakes, pump non-antilock brakes
Stopping distances are longer on water-covered ice and ice Don't idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space
PROTECT YOURSELF
Buckle up and use child safety seats properly
Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of an air bag
Children 12 and under are much safer in the back seat
Sit back 10 inches from an air bag
PREVENT CRASHES
Drugs and alcohol never mix with driving
Slow down and increase distances between cars
Keep your eyes open for pedestrians walking in the road
Avoid fatigue – Get plenty of rest before the trip, stop at least every three
hours, and rotate drivers if possible
Fruitland City Council Meeting Cancelled
The City of Fruitland has cancelled the meeting of City Council tonight (Tuesday, 1/11/2011) due to the impending inclement weather.
The meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, January, 13, 2011 at 7:30 PM.
For further details about the meeting and agenda please visit the City website at http://www.cityoffruitland.com/
It Looks Like This Storm Will Pass Without Leaving Much Behind
Mind you, my Friend from the Western Shore came by two weeks ago and did all the maintenance needed to get my snow blower ready for whatever storm hit us, including adding an electric starter for the unit. So we sit back and await the next storm and curse Fredricksen for sending our children home way too early today. Can this guy ever get it right. Oh well, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. That's why he gets paid the big bucks.
It will be icy out there this evening so do be careful.
OCEAN CITY POLICE GARNER TOP MARKSMANSHIP HONORS
Pictured left to right: PFC Daniel Jacobs, PTO Mark Doyle,
CPL Greg DeGiovanni and SGT Mark Paddack
Four Ocean City Police Department members won first place honors for marksmanship during the 2010 Maryland Police Pistol Combat competition in Frederick, Maryland.
Team Captain Sgt. Mark L. Paddack, Cpl. Greg DeGiovanni, PFC Daniel Jacobs and Retired Lt. Mark Doyle received the honors. The last time the OCPD Pistol Team won the State Championships was in 2007.
Sgt. Paddack and PFC Jacobs finished second overall in the two- person team event, followed by the team of Cpl. DeGiovanni and PTO Doyle who finished third overall.
Cpl. DeGiovanni was the first place winner of non-distinguished shooters for both revolver and semi-auto events.
PTO Doyle, Cpl. DeGiovanni and Sgt. Paddack placed fourth, sixth and 11th in the overall standings during all sanctioned marksmanship matches held the 2010 season.
In recognition of their exceptional marksmanship skills, the Maryland Police Combat Association recognized Doyle, DeGiovanni and Paddack as a 2010 “Governor’s 20” police marksman, the three officers received a Governor’s Citation from Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and a “Governor’s 20” Marksmanship Badge for their uniforms.
OCPD Pistol Team members donate their time and pay expenses for the opportunity to represent the OCPD not only in the State of Maryland, but all over the country. This is the sixth year in a row that a member of the OCPD Pistol Team has received the “Governor’s 20” award recognition and the second time that three OCPD members made the “Governor’s 20” ranking simultaneously.
Today's POMO Confirms Fed Continues To Shower Primary Dealers With Billions In Commission-Based Profits
While commenting on yesterday's NYT joke of a profile of the New York Fed POMO group, we openly mocked the claim by one Mr. Frost who said that when monetizing debt "We are looking to get the best price we can for the taxpayer.” We politely suggested that this is a blatant, tendentious lie, and that in fact the New York Fed merely cares to gift the Primary Dealers with any price it can for their bonds just so it stays on their good side (think Primary Dealer Auction take down over 50%), and after all - it is only money that according to Steve Liesman appears out of thin air. Earlier today, we suggested a simple experiment that would confirm whether or not this is the case: specifically, if any of the monetized bonds by the Fed ended up being on the part of the curve seen as rich to the spline, it would immediately become obvious that PDs, instead of monetizing the "cheap to sector" bonds, or those on which the PDs are making a capital gains profit, are making up for capital losses through side arrangements with the Fed, specifically in the form of wide bid/ask spreads resulting in taxpayer funded commission gifting. Sure enough, this is exactly what has transpired.
As the chart below shows, while the 10 bonds suggested to be monetized were all in fact tendered, leading to a hit rate of 100%, the notional represented by this sample which was all "cheap to sector" was just 70% of the total. Of the balance, a whopping 78% (or 23.5% of the total) was accounted for by CUSIPs which were rich to the sector, meaning the PDs were at a relative disadvantage when submitting these for Fed buybacks, and likely ended up losing money on the transaction.
What made up for this P&L mismatch and incentivized the PDs to sell to the Fed at a capital loss? Why cumulative commissions of course. Which means that it is now up to those few uncorrupt congressional critters to immediately submit a letter to Messrs Frost, Sack and, of course, Goldman liaison Bill Dudley (not forgeting to cc: the Chairman himself) and demand to find out just what is the fuzzy logic in the algorithm used by the 20 year olds NYU student at the FRBNY POMO desk, and just how much in taxpayer funds does each and every POMO transaction gift to the 18 Primary Dealers, whose bonuses per banker, as far as we understand, will be the second highest in history for 2009. Surely we can commiserate with the Fed's desire to create a wealth effect at such impoverished institutions as Goldman Sachs and fund billions in commissions directly to the govvie traders, but doing so at the expense of more billions in bond issuance which will never be repaid anyway, is something that we believe is time for Congress to have some say on.
Source
As the chart below shows, while the 10 bonds suggested to be monetized were all in fact tendered, leading to a hit rate of 100%, the notional represented by this sample which was all "cheap to sector" was just 70% of the total. Of the balance, a whopping 78% (or 23.5% of the total) was accounted for by CUSIPs which were rich to the sector, meaning the PDs were at a relative disadvantage when submitting these for Fed buybacks, and likely ended up losing money on the transaction.
Source
Should Salisbury Council Members Receive Health Benefits?
One hot topic (and obvious election ploy) on last night’s council agenda was whether or not city council members should receive health care benefits as part of their compensation. A decent argument can be made on either side. However, for the argument to come from the spendthrift, and hypocritical, Barrie Comegys bloc was a little too much to swallow.
Arguing that the council needed to tighten its belt, Princess Louise, along with Gary Comegys and Shanie Shields, want to strip councilwomen Terry Cohen and Debbie Campbell of their health insurance (by making them pick up 100% of the cost). Where do Louise, Gary, and Shanie get their health insurance? From the taxpayers of course! (Louise from Florida, Gary and Shanie from Maryland taxpayers).
While Comegys and Shields have served on council, they have supported adding millions of dollars to the city’s to reimburse developers. The Marley Manor lift station will NEVER recoup its cost. Ditto for Sassafras Meadows. Would they like to discuss the TIF for the Old Mall?
Last year, and the year before, and the year before … the suggestion was made to cut the council’s travel budget. OH NO! Gary needed this perk so he could be made president of the MML.
Speaking of insurance … Wicomico County has shaved a fair chunk off of their non-health insurance costs by leaving LEGIT (is Barrie Tilghman still a board member?) and bidding their insurance out. Would Salisbury? Of course not!
If the city is going to do anything with “The Bricks”, other than take it off of the tax rolls, the city will need to spend around $1 million. We have a similar problem (but probably much worse) with the “Linens of the Week” property that the same “fiscally responsible” council members voted to take over just after this item.
As Louise plans her big re-election announcement on Friday the HYPOCRISY (and political maneuvering) abound. Not to be outdone by Comegys or Shields, Louise announced that she wanted council to reduce their salaries. Nothing precludes Smith from donating all (or a part) of her salary back to the city. Has she done it? Of course not!
Is It True?
COUNTY EXECUTIVE POLLITT URGES CAUTION ON COUNTY ROADS DURING AND AFTER SNOW AND ICE EVENT
Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt urged all motorists to exercise extreme caution while driving today and tomorrow. “The National Weather Service’s latest prediction for our area calls for a ‘wintry’ mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain starting Tuesday afternoon changing back to all snow at about 7:00 P.M. and continuing until about sunrise on Wednesday,” said Pollitt. “Because the Weather Service has stressed that, ‘due to sleet/freezing conditions, untreated/unused roadways will ice over very quickly causing hazardous driving conditions,’ I strongly urge all motorists to take their time and be extremely careful when driving.”
Wicomico County Schools Closing 2 Hours Early Today
No after school activities. Board Meetings are also cancelled this evening.
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
On January 10, 2011 at approximately 7:37 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the six hundred (600) block of Pearl Street for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival the officers met with three (3) victims who advised that an unknown suspect had fired a shot at their residence, penetrating the residence. The projectile from the shot came to rest in a structural member of the residence in close proximity to where the victims had been sitting. Responding officers and detectives were able to locate witnesses who identified the below listed suspect #1 as responsible for the shooting. As a result of the investigation, detectives searched a residence on Fitzwater Street and located below listed suspect # 2, who was found to be wanted in Delaware. The victims were not injured, and the investigation is continuing as to additional suspects.
ARRESTED #1: Orlando Thomas Bowen, 20 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Attempted first degree murder (3 counts)
Attempted second degree murder (3 counts)
First degree assault (3 counts)
Second degree assault (3 counts)
Reckless endangerment (3 counts)
Handgun on person
ARRESTED #2: Tara Lynn Thompson, 35 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Fugitive – Sessex Co., Delaware
Failure to appear – forgery charges
DISPOSITION: Both released to Central Booking
CC # 201100001197/201100001202
On January 10, 2011 at approximately 2:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the five hundred (500) block of Collins Street for the report of an assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult male victim who advised that he had become involved in an argument with the below listed suspect that led to the suspect damaging furniture in the residence. The suspect also struck the victim then threatened to burn the residence. The victim did not require medical attention.
ARRESTED: Diamond Cleon Chaney, 19 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault
Malicious destruction of property
Threat of arson
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100000932
On January 10, 2011 at approximately 10:01 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the one hundred block of East Chestnut Street for the threat of arson. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised the officers that she had been involved in an argument with the below listed suspect. The argument resulted in her assault and the suspect attempted to carry her to a second location. The victim was able to free herself from the suspect, who then threatened to burn down her residence. The victim did not require medical attention.
ARRESTED: Cleveland (nmn) Williams, Jr., 54 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault
Kidnapping
Threat of arson
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100001199
ARRESTED #1: Orlando Thomas Bowen, 20 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Attempted first degree murder (3 counts)
Attempted second degree murder (3 counts)
First degree assault (3 counts)
Second degree assault (3 counts)
Reckless endangerment (3 counts)
Handgun on person
ARRESTED #2: Tara Lynn Thompson, 35 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Fugitive – Sessex Co., Delaware
Failure to appear – forgery charges
DISPOSITION: Both released to Central Booking
CC # 201100001197/201100001202
On January 10, 2011 at approximately 2:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the five hundred (500) block of Collins Street for the report of an assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult male victim who advised that he had become involved in an argument with the below listed suspect that led to the suspect damaging furniture in the residence. The suspect also struck the victim then threatened to burn the residence. The victim did not require medical attention.
ARRESTED: Diamond Cleon Chaney, 19 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault
Malicious destruction of property
Threat of arson
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100000932
On January 10, 2011 at approximately 10:01 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the one hundred block of East Chestnut Street for the threat of arson. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised the officers that she had been involved in an argument with the below listed suspect. The argument resulted in her assault and the suspect attempted to carry her to a second location. The victim was able to free herself from the suspect, who then threatened to burn down her residence. The victim did not require medical attention.
ARRESTED: Cleveland (nmn) Williams, Jr., 54 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault
Kidnapping
Threat of arson
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100001199
Salisbury Taxpayers on the Hook for More Spending
In the name of eradicating blight, the Barrie Comegys bloc of the Salisbury City Council has put the city’s taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of thousands (and probably millions) of dollars. By taking possession of the “Linens of the Week” property, and absolving the owners of all environmental liability, the city can now spend, spend, spend. Police can be furloughed, ambulance crews can be cut, but somehow Louise Smith and her cohorts will make sure that money will be spent to tear down a property that will be an open ended environmental fiasco.
Smith, et al, argue that the city will receive “Brownfield Grants” from the feds. They might. However, they might not. Even if they do receive help from Annapolis and the federal government, it is doubtful that these grants will cover the full freight of cleaning up contaminated soils and demolishing a building guaranteed to be full of asbestos.
There are only two possible results from this maneuver:
One, the city will go deeper into debt to fix this problem. Even then, they will never be able to turn the property over to Habitat for Humanity or another non-profit without absolving them of liability. It is doubtful that Habitat’s board is as foolish as the majority of Salisbury’s council.
Two, the city will decide that they aren’t to going to borrow the money to mitigate this problem. Then you are back where you started … EXCEPT that now the city is on the hook for any damage caused by the polluted property.
During last night’s debate a comparison was made between this property and “The Bricks”. The estimated cost of renovating that property is now up to the $1 million mark. Council’s leading intellectual – Shanie Shields – rebutted by asking how much money had been spent on “The Bricks”. The question was rhetorical, and we all knew that the answer was ZERO. However, what was the point of taking over “The Bricks”? It was to get a blighted property renovated. With the “Linens of the Week” property we are faced with a similar dilemma. If the property isn’t mitigated, it will still be a blight. Now that the city has accepted the “donation”, there will be a call to spend however much it takes. If not, the argument will go, how can the city “recoup its investment”? They can’t, at least not this way.
OCEAN CITY MAN DISCHARGES FIREARM DURING DOMESTIC DISPUTE
Police arrived at the scene and located a white male identified as Charles Kenneth Grusholt, 77, of Ocean City. Police located Grusholt’s wife, who was found unharmed.
During the on-scene investigation, police determined the couple had been involved in a domestic argument. During the argument the victim claimed to have been assaulted by Grusholt and left the room. While in a different part of the residence, the victim heard what she described as a gunshot.
During the initial response to the scene police recovered a .22 caliber handgun.
The investigation determined Grusholt discharged the weapon inside the residence during the argument. Police arrested Charles Grusholt and charged him with:
• 2nd Degree Assault (Domestic)
• 1st Degree Assault (Domestic)
• Discharging a firearm within the Corporate Limits of Ocean City
Grusholt was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and was released after posting a $15,000 bond.
Salisbury City Council Under Siege?
Is Louise Smith getting paranoid? Was this some insipid response to the tragedy in Tuscon? Who knows, but it was definitely overkill.
Perhaps the Salisbury Council could learn a lesson from Wicomico Council president Gail Bartkovich and her predecessors. Invite people to come. Let them have their say. Don’t gavel citizens out of order, or shut meetings down because you don’t like what someone has to say.
OCPD SEEKING ’PUBLICS ASSISTANCE TO IDENTIFY BURGLARY SUSPECTS
On January 3, 2011 at approximately 3 p.m., Ocean City Police responded to a residential burglary that occurred at 405 Philadelphia Avenue, (Parrot Lagoon complexes).
An investigation revealed the perpetrators entered through a window. Once inside the unit, the suspects stole various items and exited out of the ’units front door. Police recovered video surveillance, which shows two suspects leaving the unit carrying a white plastic bag.
The suspects are described as follows:
• Suspect #1 is a white male, wearing a plaid jacket, green hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sunglasses.
An investigation revealed the perpetrators entered through a window. Once inside the unit, the suspects stole various items and exited out of the ’units front door. Police recovered video surveillance, which shows two suspects leaving the unit carrying a white plastic bag.
The suspects are described as follows:
• Suspect #1 is a white male, wearing a plaid jacket, green hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sunglasses.
• Suspect #2 is described as a white female, long brown hair, wearing a black and white plaid jacket, dark blue jeans, and black shoes with white soles.
Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact the Ocean City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 410-723-6604 or OCPD Detective Simpson at 410-520-5349.
Baby Listed For Sale On Craigslist
Imagine searching for a baby crib or perhaps a high chair on Craigslist, when suddenly you stumble upon this: “2-month-old female for sale.”
Unfortunately, that is exactly what several visitors to the site saw on Friday. According to the Washington Post, several people called police and Craigslist pulled the listing shortly after it was posted.
The Post says the following pitch was used in the ad:
"we had a kid but we just can't handle it right now in our lives. she is up to date on her vaccinations medical records will be provided. we have been calling her Juliet but you can rename her if you want. sorry if you think this is wrong but we think the best way of insuring a happy life for her is to give her to an affluent couple that wants to have kids enough [sic] to pay for it. pics on request."
"we had a kid but we just can't handle it right now in our lives. she is up to date on her vaccinations medical records will be provided. we have been calling her Juliet but you can rename her if you want. sorry if you think this is wrong but we think the best way of insuring a happy life for her is to give her to an affluent couple that wants to have kids enough [sic] to pay for it. pics on request."
Fairfax County police were able to trace the posting back to a home in Annandale, Va., with the help of an IP address from Craigslist. According to the Post, when police entered the home on Happy Heart Lane they removed computers, and Xbox gaming console and several data storage devices, but there was no baby or any indication of a baby ever being present at the home.
GO HERE to read more.
What Made 400 People Volunteer For A One-Way Mission To Mars?
An interplanetary trip to Mars could take as little as 10 months, but returning would be virtually impossible -- making the voyage a form of self-imposed exile from Earth unlike anything else in human history.
What would inspire someone to volunteer? We've just found out.
A special edition of the Journal of Cosmology details exactly how a privately-funded, one-way mission to Mars could depart as soon as 20 years from now -- and it prompted more than 400 readers to volunteer as colonists.
"I've had a deep desire to explore the universe ever since I was a child and understood what a rocket was," Peter Greaves told FoxNews.com. Greaves is the father of three, and a jack-of-all-trades who started his own motorcycle dispatch company and fixes computers and engines on the side.
"I envision life on Mars to be stunning, frightening, lonely, quite cramped and busy," he told FoxNews.com.
"Unlike Earth I wouldn't be able to sit by a stream or take in the view of nature's wonder, or hug a friend, or breath deeply the sweet smell of fresh air -- but my experience would be so different from all 6 to 7 billion human beings ... that in itself would make up for the things I left behind."
GO HERE to read more.
Mental Health Warnings Preceded Rampage, As Arizona Gunman Likely Went Untreated
If the gunman in Saturday’s mass shooting had sought mental health treatment years ago, doctors could have been able to work out his problems before he allegedly unleashed terror on the crowd outside a Safeway in southern Arizona, a top state health official told FoxNews.com on Monday.
But that early intervention likely never happened. Though colleagues and acquaintances expressed concern, particularly over the past year, about Jared Lee Loughner’s mental state, no evidence has yet emerged showing he sought treatment.
Pima Community College effectively kicked Loughner off campus last September after a series of disruptions and told him that if he ever wanted to return he’d need a “mental health clearance” from a professional saying he did not present a danger. Loughner never returned with the document.
Dr. Laura Nelson, deputy director for behavioral health at the Arizona Department of Health Services, told FoxNews.com the state has no record of Loughner, 22, seeking mental health treatment in the public system.
“I truly believe that it could have (helped),” Nelson said.
GO HERE to read more.
At What Level Does It Take For Law Enforcement To React To Disturbing Behavior
After the shooting in Arizona and so many signs of disturbing behavior, it makes you wonder what it takes for law enforcement to get involved before something goes horribly wrong. When the warning signs are there, why do they turn their backs on obvious problems/people?
When the federal government sees an issue with an individual who is showing Al Qaeda like behavior they take action. They set them up in a sting like operation to see just how far that person might go to create havoc for their cause.
With mentally unstable people can you go that same route and can you lump all those people in the same group of instability? Its something that is going to need to be addressed. When do we say that access to weapons for the general public is not a healthy thing for us as a society? Where and when do we start drawing some lines in the sand? It's obvious what we now have in place is not working for us. What now?
Accident In Fruitland this AM
Joe,
A tractor trailer pulled across two lanes of traffic to go from the Route 13 turn lane to East Main Street to go onto West Main Street and the pickup truck was in the Southbound inside lane and hit the passenger side of the tractor. A large amount of fluid was leaking out however it turned out to be water. Luckily no injuries. I was behind the tractor trailer in the turn lane and witnessed the accident. There was quick response from the Police and Fire personnel.
Swiss Village: Pay Your Dog Tax Or Fido Gets It
GENEVA — A Swiss village has found a drastic way to compel dog holders to pay their pet's annual tax: cough up, or the dog gets it.
Reconvilier — population 2,245 humans, 280 dogs — plans to put fido on notice if its owner doesn't pay the annual $50 tax.
Local official Pierre-Alain Nemitz says the move is part of an effort to reclaim hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.
He says a law from 1904 allows the village to kill dogs if its owner does not pay the canine charge.
GO HERE to read more.
For-Profit College Grads Also Earn A Life Of Debt
The schools leave students more indebted than conventional colleges
Ronnie Franklin borrowed to pay his tuition at a for-profit college that advertised its success in preparing graduates for better jobs. The decision still haunts him.
Despite graduating from RETS Technical Center in Boston in 2000, he found himself so strapped for money that he and his two sons lived in a homeless shelter last year. Frustrated that his degree didn't lead to work in electronics, Franklin — now a $12-an-hour housepainter — decided to go to a community college this year. He can't qualify for a federal grant that would pay the cost because he has defaulted on $20,000 of his earlier U.S. student loans.
Students seeking to move up in life by getting a degree from a for-profit college are being trapped in a growing underclass of education debtors. Under U.S. law, their loan obligations can rarely be discharged in bankruptcy, making them more onerous than credit-card debt or sub-prime mortgages. Defaults can subject students to government confiscation of salaries, tax refunds, and Social Security payments — and disqualify them for aid to get more marketable degrees.
GO HERE to read more.
Today's History Lesson
“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over”
“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.”
-- Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda for the Third Reich
Watchdog: Left Exploiting Arizona Ram Page To ‘Criminalize’ Conservatives
The left’s systematic ridicule of Sarah Palin and other conservatives following the Arizona shooting rampage reflects a deliberate campaign to “ultimately criminalize” conservative thought in America, according to media watchdog L. Brent Bozell.
Bozell’s comments in an exclusive Newsmax.TV interview came as 22-year-old Jared Loughner appeared in federal court in Phoenix on Monday on charges of trying to assassinate U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. The shooting spree Saturday at a Safeway supermarket north of Tucson left six dead and 13 wounded. The judge ordered that Loughner be held without bail.
Bozell, founder and president of the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center, isn’t alone in his concern about the media coverage of the rampage.
Top radio talker Rush Limbaugh weighed in as well Monday, saying on his show that coverage of the Arizona shooting has been a “lame, purely political attempt by the left to do what they cannot convince the American people to do, and that is support them. It’s embarrassingly, depressingly sick.”
Limbaugh added “half the country has been indicted for the actions of a lone, deranged individual.”
Also, CNN “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz denounced the effort to link conservative political rhetoric to the shooting as a “sickening ritual of guilt by association,” adding that “the blame game is already underway.”
Those reactions, however, did not dissuade MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, and Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., from doubling down on their attacks.
“He saw a Second Amendment remedy and that's what occurred here and there is no way not to make that connection," Clyburn said Monday, according to The Charleston Post & Courier – a reference to senate candidate Sharron Angle of Nevada reportedly speaking of a possible “Second Amendment remedy” people could use to address their grievances.
Bozell said such efforts to blame the Tucson massacre on conservatives reflect a broader agenda.
“This is a part of a campaign to delegitimize, and ultimately criminalize, conservative thought in this country,” Bozell said. “Note how quickly The New York Times came out with an editorial calling for the Fairness Doctrine as a result of this.
“I mean, anything to pin to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin or the Tea Party … anybody on the conservative side, to delegitimize them, that’s what they’re going to do. That’s the tactics of the far left.”
From a journalistic perspective, Bozell said, the news media should be graded “close to an F” for its coverage.
“Because they have committed a mortal sin,” he said. “They have raised as fact, or at least [for] serious consideration, things that are simply not true.
“And [they] are in such a rush to implicate conservatives when evil things happen that they were doing that before they had even the basic facts of the story down. Before they had even knew the gender of the poor child who was killed, they were already suggesting that Sarah Palin might be to blame.”
More here
Bozell’s comments in an exclusive Newsmax.TV interview came as 22-year-old Jared Loughner appeared in federal court in Phoenix on Monday on charges of trying to assassinate U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. The shooting spree Saturday at a Safeway supermarket north of Tucson left six dead and 13 wounded. The judge ordered that Loughner be held without bail.
Bozell, founder and president of the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center, isn’t alone in his concern about the media coverage of the rampage.
Top radio talker Rush Limbaugh weighed in as well Monday, saying on his show that coverage of the Arizona shooting has been a “lame, purely political attempt by the left to do what they cannot convince the American people to do, and that is support them. It’s embarrassingly, depressingly sick.”
Limbaugh added “half the country has been indicted for the actions of a lone, deranged individual.”
Also, CNN “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz denounced the effort to link conservative political rhetoric to the shooting as a “sickening ritual of guilt by association,” adding that “the blame game is already underway.”
Those reactions, however, did not dissuade MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, and Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., from doubling down on their attacks.
“He saw a Second Amendment remedy and that's what occurred here and there is no way not to make that connection," Clyburn said Monday, according to The Charleston Post & Courier – a reference to senate candidate Sharron Angle of Nevada reportedly speaking of a possible “Second Amendment remedy” people could use to address their grievances.
Bozell said such efforts to blame the Tucson massacre on conservatives reflect a broader agenda.
“This is a part of a campaign to delegitimize, and ultimately criminalize, conservative thought in this country,” Bozell said. “Note how quickly The New York Times came out with an editorial calling for the Fairness Doctrine as a result of this.
“I mean, anything to pin to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin or the Tea Party … anybody on the conservative side, to delegitimize them, that’s what they’re going to do. That’s the tactics of the far left.”
From a journalistic perspective, Bozell said, the news media should be graded “close to an F” for its coverage.
“Because they have committed a mortal sin,” he said. “They have raised as fact, or at least [for] serious consideration, things that are simply not true.
“And [they] are in such a rush to implicate conservatives when evil things happen that they were doing that before they had even the basic facts of the story down. Before they had even knew the gender of the poor child who was killed, they were already suggesting that Sarah Palin might be to blame.”
More here
Backlash Mounts Over Biased Coverage Of Arizona Tragedy
President Barack Obama and the first lady shared a dramatic moment of silence on the south lawn of the White House at 11 a.m. ET Monday in observance of the tragic Arizona shooting that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life, even as a major conservative backlash mounted against media outlets who blamed the shooting on inflammatory right-wing rhetoric.
The shooting spree at a Tucson Safeway on Saturday was allegedly the work of 22-year-old Jared Loughner, an Armed Services reject who had a previous history of mental issues. Various sources report Loughner had exhibited increasingly bizarre behavior in recent months. Thirteen others were wounded and six people were killed in the shooting.
An initial NPR report erroneously announced that Giffords had passed away. NPR apologized for that error on Monday, calling it a “grave error.” Regardless, pundits and politicians immediately pounced Saturday at what they apparently saw as a political opportunity.
A variety of news outlets pointed to a Sarah Palin Facebook post nine months ago that listed a number of Democrats the GOP hoped to defeat, using what appeared to be crosshairs symbols, which were soon removed. Giffords’ district was one of those listed, and Giffords later made a cable TV appearance cautioning that heated political rhetoric could have serious consequences.
What those outlets overlooked: The left-wing Daily Kos blog also had targeted Giffords for her centrist positions, and wrote of putting her in the “bull's-eye.”
The New York Times’ headline for the story was “Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics.” Times columnist Paul Krugman blamed “political hatred” and recalled a recent federal report on the danger of right-wing extremism.
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann remarked: "If Sarah Palin, whose website put and today scrubbed bullseye targets on 20 representatives including Gabby Giffords, does not repudiate her own part in amplifying violence and violent imagery in politics, she must be dismissed from politics."
Appearing on CSPAN Monday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said efforts to link the shooting to conservative political dialog amounted to practicing “McCarthyism.”
Noting that both parties had used words such as “targets” in political discussions, Kristol said, “The attempt to exploit this tragedy is distasteful."
Efforts to link 22-year-old Loughner to conservative political rhetoric soon collided with reality, as the nature of Loughner’s own remarks and writings emerged.
His online rants appeared to reflect a muddled, possibly left-wing viewpoint that embrace anarchy.
Intellectually, his influences appeared to range from Karl Marx to Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Kicked out of Pima Community College for his bizarre behavior, he wrote in a YouTube video: “I can’t trust the current government because of fabrications. The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar."
Conservatives and media commentators expressed revulsion and how the tragedy seemed to be used in some quarters as political fodder.
“In all my years as a working journalist, I have never seen more shallow analysis from liberal commentators than I have now, with this terrible tragedy in Arizona,” Fox News contributor and author Bernard Goldberg told Newsmax.
More here
The shooting spree at a Tucson Safeway on Saturday was allegedly the work of 22-year-old Jared Loughner, an Armed Services reject who had a previous history of mental issues. Various sources report Loughner had exhibited increasingly bizarre behavior in recent months. Thirteen others were wounded and six people were killed in the shooting.
An initial NPR report erroneously announced that Giffords had passed away. NPR apologized for that error on Monday, calling it a “grave error.” Regardless, pundits and politicians immediately pounced Saturday at what they apparently saw as a political opportunity.
A variety of news outlets pointed to a Sarah Palin Facebook post nine months ago that listed a number of Democrats the GOP hoped to defeat, using what appeared to be crosshairs symbols, which were soon removed. Giffords’ district was one of those listed, and Giffords later made a cable TV appearance cautioning that heated political rhetoric could have serious consequences.
What those outlets overlooked: The left-wing Daily Kos blog also had targeted Giffords for her centrist positions, and wrote of putting her in the “bull's-eye.”
The New York Times’ headline for the story was “Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics.” Times columnist Paul Krugman blamed “political hatred” and recalled a recent federal report on the danger of right-wing extremism.
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann remarked: "If Sarah Palin, whose website put and today scrubbed bullseye targets on 20 representatives including Gabby Giffords, does not repudiate her own part in amplifying violence and violent imagery in politics, she must be dismissed from politics."
Appearing on CSPAN Monday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said efforts to link the shooting to conservative political dialog amounted to practicing “McCarthyism.”
Noting that both parties had used words such as “targets” in political discussions, Kristol said, “The attempt to exploit this tragedy is distasteful."
Efforts to link 22-year-old Loughner to conservative political rhetoric soon collided with reality, as the nature of Loughner’s own remarks and writings emerged.
His online rants appeared to reflect a muddled, possibly left-wing viewpoint that embrace anarchy.
Intellectually, his influences appeared to range from Karl Marx to Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Kicked out of Pima Community College for his bizarre behavior, he wrote in a YouTube video: “I can’t trust the current government because of fabrications. The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar."
Conservatives and media commentators expressed revulsion and how the tragedy seemed to be used in some quarters as political fodder.
“In all my years as a working journalist, I have never seen more shallow analysis from liberal commentators than I have now, with this terrible tragedy in Arizona,” Fox News contributor and author Bernard Goldberg told Newsmax.
More here
Democrat: Citing Constitution Will Cost Taxpayers $570K
Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown said a GOP requirement that lawmakers cite the Constitution in each bill they introduce will cost $570,000 in additional printing costs.
The Florida Democrat, who is in her ninth term in Congress, said the extra costs are attributed to “supplies, labor and delivery."
Democrats have complained about the new House GOP rule, which requires all legislation to include a citation to language in the Constitution that authorizes any bill they introduce. Democrats see the new requirement as an unveiled accusation that the last Congress exceeded its constitutional authority.
Brown’s argument seems designed to appeal to Republicans. She argues the new rule will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in Congressional Record printing costs to be paid for by taxpayers.
More
The Florida Democrat, who is in her ninth term in Congress, said the extra costs are attributed to “supplies, labor and delivery."
Democrats have complained about the new House GOP rule, which requires all legislation to include a citation to language in the Constitution that authorizes any bill they introduce. Democrats see the new requirement as an unveiled accusation that the last Congress exceeded its constitutional authority.
Brown’s argument seems designed to appeal to Republicans. She argues the new rule will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in Congressional Record printing costs to be paid for by taxpayers.
More
O'Malley to Give Virginia Dems a Look Into the Future
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who has driven successful entrepreneurs from the state thanks to his "millionaire surcharge" and increased taxes on everyone else, is travelling to the Old Dominion. O'Malley is scheduled to be the featured speaker at the Virginia Dems Jefferson-Jackson Dinner to be held February 19th in Richmond.
According to VADEM spokesman Brian Coy:
"He's got a great local perspective, as well as a national perspective, on the way Democrats are moving forward in 2011."
Absolutely. Raise taxes. Strip localities of revenue. Claim to cut while continuing to grow government. I'm sure Bob McDonnell is shaking in his boots.
Witnesses Ready To Testify About Fraud In Compensation To Black Farmers
Rep. Steve King (R.-Iowa), who serves on both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, says he has personally talked to two potential witnesses in recent months who are ready to come forward and speak to a congressional committee—if one decides to actually investigate the matter--about alleged fraud in discrimination-compensation payments that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made to black farmers.
One of these would-be witnesses is a black farmer who was a litigant in the initial class action suit that black farmers brought against the USDA in the 1990s. The other is a current long-time employee of the USDA itself.
King said the black farmer who is prepared to testify told him that some attorneys in the case he was involved in traveled neighborhoods to sign up people up who had never farmed to receive the discrimination-compensation payments the USDA agreed to make in the negotiated settlement of the case. The enlistees even included homeless people this farmer alleged, according to King.
King said he spoke with the farmer for two hours and 20 minutes several weeks ago about the settlement, reached in 1999, that saw the government pay out $1 billion in compensation to 15,640 black farmers who alleged discrimination.
King said that a few months ago he also interviewed a USDA employee of more than 30 years who says he was personally aware of numerous fraudulent claims that were filed seeking compensation under the negotiated settlement. The USDA employee, who spoke to King for about an hour and a half, worked processing USDA farm loans in the South.
King said that both of these witnesses want to remain unnamed for now to protect themselves from retaliation or intimidation, but are willing to come forward and testify under oath for the record if Congress holds hearings on the matter.
There's more here
One of these would-be witnesses is a black farmer who was a litigant in the initial class action suit that black farmers brought against the USDA in the 1990s. The other is a current long-time employee of the USDA itself.
King said the black farmer who is prepared to testify told him that some attorneys in the case he was involved in traveled neighborhoods to sign up people up who had never farmed to receive the discrimination-compensation payments the USDA agreed to make in the negotiated settlement of the case. The enlistees even included homeless people this farmer alleged, according to King.
King said he spoke with the farmer for two hours and 20 minutes several weeks ago about the settlement, reached in 1999, that saw the government pay out $1 billion in compensation to 15,640 black farmers who alleged discrimination.
King said that a few months ago he also interviewed a USDA employee of more than 30 years who says he was personally aware of numerous fraudulent claims that were filed seeking compensation under the negotiated settlement. The USDA employee, who spoke to King for about an hour and a half, worked processing USDA farm loans in the South.
King said that both of these witnesses want to remain unnamed for now to protect themselves from retaliation or intimidation, but are willing to come forward and testify under oath for the record if Congress holds hearings on the matter.
There's more here
Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release
Incident: Weapon Violation
Date of Incident: 7 January 2011
Location: 1000 block of Marine Road, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Dustin K. Vass, 23, Hebron, MD
Narrative: On 7 January 2011 at 7:30 PM, deputies and allied law enforcement went to a residence in the 1000 block of Marine Road for the purpose of locating a wanted subject, Tyrone Hankerson. Upon arrival, Dustin Vass was in the process of exiting the residence via a side door but was stopped. Vass was later discovered to be concealing a sawed off shotgun in a book bag he carried. Upon examining the weapon, it was discovered that the serial number had been obliterated.
Vass was placed under arrest for the sawed off shotgun and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Vass in the Detention Center in lieu of $7,500.00 bond.
Hankerson, the original target of the attempt was located at this address also.
Charges: Possession of a Short barreled Shotgun
Obliteration of a Manufacturer’s Serial Number on a Firearm
Concealed Dangerous Weapon
Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release
Incident: Second Degree Assault
Date of Incident: 7 January 2011
Location: 31900 Pembroke Court, Delmar, MD
Suspects: Wade S. Hill, 37, Delmar, MD
Narrative: On 7 January 2011 at 5:56 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported altercation at a residence in the 31900 Pembroke Court in Delmar. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a female victim who stated that she was involved in a verbal altercation with her boyfriend, Wade Hill that turned physical. Hill allegedly pushed her down and punched her several times in the head. During the investigation, the deputy observed signs of injury on the victim that corroborated her account.
The deputy placed Hill under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Hill was detained in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release
Incident: First Degree Assault
Date of Incident: 7 January 2011
Location: 400 block of E. College Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: Tyrone David Hankerson, 39, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 7 January 2011 at 10:13 AM, a deputy from the WCSO responded to a residence in the 400 block of E. College Avenue and met with a visibly upset female subject. The deputy learned that a subject, Tyrone David Hankerson, had come to the residence to confront the female subject. Allegedly when the female opened the door thinking it was someone else, Hankerson forced himself into the residence and placed a handgun against the female’s head. The victim alleged that Hankerson continued to make threats before leaving in a green sedan.
The investigating deputy was unable to locate Hankerson so a warrant was obtained that charged him with Burglary, Assault and Handgun related crimes/
Deputies, along with members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team located Hankerson later that evening at a residence on Marine Road and took him into custody. Hankerson was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Hankerson in the Detention Center in lieu of $200.000.00 bond.
Charges: Burglary 1st degree / Burglary 4th Degree
Assault 1sr Degree / Assault 2nd Degree
Handgun Use in Violent Crime / Handgun on Person / handgun in Vehicle
Criminals In Your Neighborhood?
Just put in a street name & your whole neighborhood map will pop up.
Every place you see a red balloon or thumb tack is the home of a convicted felon.
Just hover your mouse over an icon & not only will the name come up, but also the crime they were convicted of.
Share with your friends . . . safety first.
http://www.felonspy.com/search.html
Every place you see a red balloon or thumb tack is the home of a convicted felon.
Just hover your mouse over an icon & not only will the name come up, but also the crime they were convicted of.
Share with your friends . . . safety first.
http://www.felonspy.com/search.html
Md. Lawmakers Look To Taxes, Spending For $1.6B Shortfall
WASHINGTON -- The Maryland government will set its sights on raising taxes and cutting spending, as the general assembly begins a 90-day session Wednesday to tackle the $1.6 billion budget gap.
Legislators are looking to every corner of state financial policy to relieve the budget shortfall, particularly some common taxes untouched for decades.
Maryland's 23.5 cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline has been in place for nearly 20 years. Senate President Thomas V. Miller wants to see it raised.
Governor Martin O'Malley may propose spending cuts to public education, boosting college tuition and reducing support to Medicaid providers.
GO HERE to read more.
Legislators are looking to every corner of state financial policy to relieve the budget shortfall, particularly some common taxes untouched for decades.
Maryland's 23.5 cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline has been in place for nearly 20 years. Senate President Thomas V. Miller wants to see it raised.
Governor Martin O'Malley may propose spending cuts to public education, boosting college tuition and reducing support to Medicaid providers.
GO HERE to read more.
Ex-Boyfriend Dismembered Skins Cheerleader
LAS VEGAS (AP) - The former boyfriend of a slain Las Vegas burlesque dancer is accused of choking her, chopping off her legs, then encasing her naked body in concrete, according to an arrest report released Monday.
Jason Griffith, 32, told police he killed Deborah Flores-Narvaez, 31, in the heat of the moment after an argument at his home Dec. 12. He was arrested Friday after police found her body in a downtown Las Vegas home.
Griffith was due in court Wednesday to face a murder charge. His lawyer, Patrick McDonald, didn't immediately respond Monday to a message.
Griffith told police she attacked him and forced him to do what he did, but refused to provide an official statement without his lawyer present.
Flores-Narvaez was reported missing Dec. 14 after she didn't show up for a rehearsal at the burlesque show "Fantasy" at the Luxor hotel-casino, where she had worked for a year. Her roommate and co-worker told police Flores-Narvaez never missed rehearsals or performances without giving notice.
GO HERE to read more.
Jason Griffith, 32, told police he killed Deborah Flores-Narvaez, 31, in the heat of the moment after an argument at his home Dec. 12. He was arrested Friday after police found her body in a downtown Las Vegas home.
Griffith was due in court Wednesday to face a murder charge. His lawyer, Patrick McDonald, didn't immediately respond Monday to a message.
Griffith told police she attacked him and forced him to do what he did, but refused to provide an official statement without his lawyer present.
Flores-Narvaez was reported missing Dec. 14 after she didn't show up for a rehearsal at the burlesque show "Fantasy" at the Luxor hotel-casino, where she had worked for a year. Her roommate and co-worker told police Flores-Narvaez never missed rehearsals or performances without giving notice.
GO HERE to read more.
Lobbyist, Mother Of Three Dies In D.C. Car Fire
WASHINGTON -- Police and fire officials are investigating a car fire that killed a Washington lobbyist, mother and wife of a senior White House advisor in Southeast D.C. early Monday.
Ashley Westbrook Turton, director of congressional affairs for Progress Energy, Inc. and mother of three young children, died around 5 a.m. Monday outside her home in the 800 block of A Street in Southeast.
She was married to Daniel Turton, who has been the White House deputy director of legislative affairs for the U.S. House since 2009.
GO HERE to read more.
Ashley Westbrook Turton, director of congressional affairs for Progress Energy, Inc. and mother of three young children, died around 5 a.m. Monday outside her home in the 800 block of A Street in Southeast.
She was married to Daniel Turton, who has been the White House deputy director of legislative affairs for the U.S. House since 2009.
GO HERE to read more.
Apocryphal And Hilarious "Letter A 98-Year Old Woman Wrote To Her Bank" Makes The Rounds Again
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Sometimes, Rarely, Walmart Will Price-Match Itself
Retailers that have an online presence generally don't price-match their own websites. As illogical as this seems (especially for big-box stores that have in-store pickup options) the policy is the policy. Except sometimes there is a way around it. That's how John saved $8 at Walmart—by making the store price-match its own website.
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Free Speech Or A Call To Violence?
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
In the wake of the Tuscon shooting that left six dead, one lawmaker is calling for a bill outlawing threatening speech directed at federal officialsJust Talk Or Real Threat? Shooting Raises Questions About Rhetoric
Washington - When Rep. Gabrielle Giffords found herself targeted for defeat last year with a map showing a rifle's crosshairs over her district, she worried it might incite violence.
"When people do that, they've got to realize there's consequences to that action," she said, after Sarah Palin used the crosshairs to tell her followers of 20 House Democrats who should be defeated.
There's no evidence that Palin's ad contributed to a gunman's decision Saturday to shoot Giffords in a rampage that killed six bystanders and left her gravely wounded with a brain injury. But the shooting is sparking an intense debate over whether incendiary political talk across the country — punctuated with references to guns and the blood of slain politicians — is a real danger, or merely vivid political rhetoric.
Many liberals say it's definitely dangerous. They say it fuels anger and could help push some who seethe with rage over the line into violence.
Many conservatives say it's just talk, and that any attempt to blame them for Giffords' shooting is a cynical attempt to exploit a tragedy for political gain.
This much is clear: Images of bloody violence have been rising in political debate in recent years, and experts say that can find a ready audience among the mentally unbalanced
.
"Paranoia is the most political of mental illnesses. Paranoids need enemies, and politics is full of enemies," said Jerrold Post, the director of the Political Psychology program at George Washington University and the author of the book, "Political Paranoia."
GO HERE to read more.
Protests At Fort Campbell Over Deployment Of Wounded Soldier
A soldier at Fort Campbell, Kentucky is being forced to return to Afghanistan this week amidst claims he is not fit to deploy because he has not received treatment promised by the Army for severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder sustained during his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jeff Hanks deployed to Afghanistan early last year with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He returned to the base on leave from Afghanistan this past September, where he sought and was denied treatment on two separate military bases for traumatic injuries sustained in combat.
Hanks subsequently refused to redeploy and was forced to go Absent Without Official Leave in order to get medical attention from civilian professionals.
Now, less than two months after surrendering himself at Fort Campbell, the Army Specialist awaits imminent redeployment to Afghanistan against his wishes and against the advice of his team of medical professionals.
GO HERE to read more.
Highlighted Events This Week In Wicomico Schools
January Edition of Working Together for Children
Now Airing on PAC 14
The January edition of "Working Together for Children" is now airing on PAC 14 (Comcast Channel 14). The show is currently scheduled to air at 9:03 a.m. and 8:09 p.m. Tuesday, and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and noon Saturday; please visit pac14.org or check the listings in The Daily Times for additional times throughout the month. The show features an interview on Race to the Top with Ruth Malone, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, as well as highlights from the November Awards & Recognitions Night. Northwestern Elementary, a National and Maryland Blue Ribbon School, is spotlighted by students, parents and staff members who tell its blue ribbon story.
Nominations Due by Jan. 19 for the 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award
Nominations for the 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award must be postmarked by Jan. 19 to be considered for this award which recognizes outstanding parental involvement activities. Entry information is posted below.
The Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award is an annual award for parents and guardians whose exemplary contributions to public education have led to improvements for Maryland’s schoolchildren, teachers, schools, programs and/or policies. Comcast created the award with the Maryland State Department of Education to highlight the positive impact parents and guardians have on public schools and to encourage all parents and guardians to get involved in whatever way they can. Read more and find the entry form at http://www.wcboe.org/news/548.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
Monthly Meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education
Board of Education Auditorium
The January meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, in the Board of Education Auditorium at Mt. Hermon Road and Long Avenue in Salisbury. The agenda will be posted at www.wcboe.org the Friday before the meeting. 410-677-4561.
Through Jan. 21
High School Assessment (HSA) testing for students who previously took but did not pass one or more HSAs
At all four Wicomico County high schools
Thursday, Jan. 13, 5:30 p.m.
Budget Hearing
Board of Education Office
The first public budget hearing for the fiscal 2011-12 budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, at the Board of Education Office auditorium, Mt. Hermon Road and Long Avenue, Salisbury. Prior to comment time, school system staff will make a brief presentation on the school system’s revenue picture and anticipated funding challenges. Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Early input will be valuable in what is expected to be a particularly challenging budget year for the school system. For information please call 410-677-4561.
Thursday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m.
Strings Concert
At Salisbury Middle School
The fall strings concert for students from Mardela Middle and High, Northwestern Elementary, Salisbury Middle and Westside Intermediate has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. at Salisbury Middle School. 410-677-5149.
Jan. 14-15
Wrestling Tournament
Hosted by Wicomico High School at the WYCC
The 16th Annual Bob Rowe Memorial (formerly Delmarva Classic) Wrestling Tournament will be hosted by the Wicomico High School Wrestling Team at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Jan. 14-15. Wrestling will start at 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14 and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15. There will be four mats of varsity action and three mats of JV action over both days. Admission is $15 for the weekend, or $10 a day (no WCBOE passes will be honored). The tournament will serve as a fundraiser for the Wi-Hi Wrestling Team. 410-677-5146.
Friday, Jan. 14
PTA Movie Family Night
Prince Street Elementary
The Prince Street Elementary PTA will host a Movie Family Night with the new version of “The Karate Kid” and Mitchell’s Martial Arts there to do a demonstration. The evening will begin at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $1. 410-677-5813.
Saturday, Jan. 15
STEM Saturday
Salisbury Middle School
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Saturday classes will be offered throughout the 2010-11 school year for students in grades 4/5 and 6/7/8. The next STEM Saturday will be held at Salisbury Middle School from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 15, with students in grades 4-5 exploring Green Keepers: Going Green to Preserve Our World, and middle schoolers working on The Bug Detective. The elementary offerings are new to the STEM Saturdays schedule this year. Anyone interested in attending a STEM Saturday event must pre-register, and early registration is recommended as the courses fill up early. STEM Saturdays will also be held Feb. 12, The Magic of Chemistry (elementary) and Out of Sight: Bringing Astronomy Down to Earth (middle), both at Salisbury Middle; March 12, Flying Wild: Bird Science and Conservation (elementary) at Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art; Fossils of the Chesapeake: A Hands-On Exploration (middle) at Parkside High; and April 9, The Bug Detective (elementary) and The Science Behind Winning (middle), both at Salisbury Middle. For a detailed schedule and registration form, visit http://www.wcboe.org/news/510. For information contact Gretchen Boggs at 410-677-5149 or gboggs@wcboe.org.
Now Airing on PAC 14
The January edition of "Working Together for Children" is now airing on PAC 14 (Comcast Channel 14). The show is currently scheduled to air at 9:03 a.m. and 8:09 p.m. Tuesday, and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and noon Saturday; please visit pac14.org or check the listings in The Daily Times for additional times throughout the month. The show features an interview on Race to the Top with Ruth Malone, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, as well as highlights from the November Awards & Recognitions Night. Northwestern Elementary, a National and Maryland Blue Ribbon School, is spotlighted by students, parents and staff members who tell its blue ribbon story.
Nominations Due by Jan. 19 for the 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award
Nominations for the 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award must be postmarked by Jan. 19 to be considered for this award which recognizes outstanding parental involvement activities. Entry information is posted below.
The Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award is an annual award for parents and guardians whose exemplary contributions to public education have led to improvements for Maryland’s schoolchildren, teachers, schools, programs and/or policies. Comcast created the award with the Maryland State Department of Education to highlight the positive impact parents and guardians have on public schools and to encourage all parents and guardians to get involved in whatever way they can. Read more and find the entry form at http://www.wcboe.org/news/548.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
Monthly Meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education
Board of Education Auditorium
The January meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, in the Board of Education Auditorium at Mt. Hermon Road and Long Avenue in Salisbury. The agenda will be posted at www.wcboe.org the Friday before the meeting. 410-677-4561.
Through Jan. 21
High School Assessment (HSA) testing for students who previously took but did not pass one or more HSAs
At all four Wicomico County high schools
Thursday, Jan. 13, 5:30 p.m.
Budget Hearing
Board of Education Office
The first public budget hearing for the fiscal 2011-12 budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, at the Board of Education Office auditorium, Mt. Hermon Road and Long Avenue, Salisbury. Prior to comment time, school system staff will make a brief presentation on the school system’s revenue picture and anticipated funding challenges. Parents, students, community members and Board staff are invited to come with comments. Early input will be valuable in what is expected to be a particularly challenging budget year for the school system. For information please call 410-677-4561.
Thursday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m.
Strings Concert
At Salisbury Middle School
The fall strings concert for students from Mardela Middle and High, Northwestern Elementary, Salisbury Middle and Westside Intermediate has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. at Salisbury Middle School. 410-677-5149.
Jan. 14-15
Wrestling Tournament
Hosted by Wicomico High School at the WYCC
The 16th Annual Bob Rowe Memorial (formerly Delmarva Classic) Wrestling Tournament will be hosted by the Wicomico High School Wrestling Team at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Jan. 14-15. Wrestling will start at 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14 and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15. There will be four mats of varsity action and three mats of JV action over both days. Admission is $15 for the weekend, or $10 a day (no WCBOE passes will be honored). The tournament will serve as a fundraiser for the Wi-Hi Wrestling Team. 410-677-5146.
Friday, Jan. 14
PTA Movie Family Night
Prince Street Elementary
The Prince Street Elementary PTA will host a Movie Family Night with the new version of “The Karate Kid” and Mitchell’s Martial Arts there to do a demonstration. The evening will begin at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $1. 410-677-5813.
Saturday, Jan. 15
STEM Saturday
Salisbury Middle School
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Saturday classes will be offered throughout the 2010-11 school year for students in grades 4/5 and 6/7/8. The next STEM Saturday will be held at Salisbury Middle School from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 15, with students in grades 4-5 exploring Green Keepers: Going Green to Preserve Our World, and middle schoolers working on The Bug Detective. The elementary offerings are new to the STEM Saturdays schedule this year. Anyone interested in attending a STEM Saturday event must pre-register, and early registration is recommended as the courses fill up early. STEM Saturdays will also be held Feb. 12, The Magic of Chemistry (elementary) and Out of Sight: Bringing Astronomy Down to Earth (middle), both at Salisbury Middle; March 12, Flying Wild: Bird Science and Conservation (elementary) at Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art; Fossils of the Chesapeake: A Hands-On Exploration (middle) at Parkside High; and April 9, The Bug Detective (elementary) and The Science Behind Winning (middle), both at Salisbury Middle. For a detailed schedule and registration form, visit http://www.wcboe.org/news/510. For information contact Gretchen Boggs at 410-677-5149 or gboggs@wcboe.org.
Coming Up Soon On The Wicomico School Calendar
Monday, Jan. 17
Schools and Central Office closed for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
Tuesday, Jan. 18
Board of Education Awards & Recognitions Night
Wicomico High School
A Wicomico County Board of Education Awards & Recognitions Night will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at Wicomico High School Auditorium to honor outstanding students, teachers, administrators, schools, programs and community partners. 410-677-4561. Recognitions on the program for Jan. 18 are:
Community Giving Activities
Wicomico County Reading Committee Bookmark Contest
All State Music Ensembles
High School Scholar Awards
Eastern Shore High School Mathematics Competition
ACC Tournament of Bands
Maryland Crab Bowl/Civil War Bowl
Unified Tennis State Champion
National Board Certified Teachers
WMDT Teacher Who Makes a Difference
Governor's Citations for Superior Maintenance
Recycling Winner
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Superintendent’s Open Door Session
Board of Education Office
A Superintendent’s Open Door Session will take place Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 4-6 p.m., in the Administrative Conference Room at the Board of Education Office. The Open Door Sessions are opportunities to meet one-on-one with Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen to discuss any issue, idea or concern. No appointments are made: Anyone interested in meeting with the superintendent should come to the Board office that day and sign in. Other Superintendent Open Door Sessions for this year are scheduled for Feb. 23, March 23, April 27 and May 25. 410-677-4495.
Thursday, Jan. 20
Multicultural Festival
Fruitland Primary School
Fruitland Primary School and its students and families will join in a Multicultural Festival from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20. The cultures of Italy, Chile, Ireland, Pakistan and Native Americans are among those that will be explored and celebrated through food, music, games, dances, storytelling and cultural artifacts. An Irish dance troupe from the Footsteps Dance Academy will be there to share Irish dancing. 410-677-5171.
Friday, Jan. 21
End of 2nd Marking Period (44 days)
Report cards distributed Jan. 31
Monday, Jan. 24 and Tuesday, Jan. 25
Professional Days
Schools closed for students. Central Office open.
Wednesday, Jan. 26
3rd Marking Period begins
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m.
WCCPTA Reflections Reception
Parkside High School
The Wicomico County Council of PTAs (WCCPTA) will hold a reception and awards ceremony at Parkside High School for the Reflections program. Many winning art and writing entries from Wicomico students will be displayed starting at 6 p.m., with awards starting at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m.
Evening High School Commencement
Prince Street Elementary
Friday, Jan. 28
3rd annual Operation SPEAK Oratorical Competition for Fifth-Graders from Prince Street, Pinehurst and Glen Avenue Schools
At Prince Street Elementary School
Prince Street Elementary will host the 3rd annual Operation SPEAK (Stimulate, Prepare & Encourage Articulate Kids) Oratorical Competition at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28. There will be fifth-grade students from three Title I school competing - Pinehurst, Glen Avenue and Prince Street. This program encourages 5th-grade students to compete first with students from their own school in writing, memorizing, and reciting a speech. Three students from each school will participate in the contest, which has been rescheduled for Jan. 28 after being postponed by a snow day on Dec. 17. Each student will have two to four minutes to present a prepared speech on either this quote from John Crudele: “Kids Spell Love T-I-M-E,” or Jesse Jackson’s quote, “Your children need your presence more than your presents.” Winners will be eligible for trophies and monetary awards. This year’s Operation SPEAK Oratorical Competition is supported by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. For information please contact Tana Ellis at 410-677-5813 or tellis@wcboe.org.
Saturdays, March 5-April 30
Budding Authors 101
Sojourner Douglass College
Students in grades 4-6 can become published authors by taking The Balanced-Families Budding Authors 101 course. During this eight-week program, children will complete a workbook that helps them to complete each portion of their book. At the end of the program, each completed story will be submitted to a professional graphic designer who will create the pictures and cover for each book based on the children’s drawings and ideas. Completed books will be available two to four weeks after the program ends. Books can be showcased at schools, online at the Budding Authors website, and at local exhibits, bookfairs and bookstores. Classes will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Saturdays, March 5-April 30. The cost is $120 per student for a black and white script and pictures, or $200 for black and white script and color pictures. Classes will be held at Sojourner Douglass College, 408 Coles Circle, #D, Salisbury. For information please call Connie Stewart of Balanced-Families at 443-525-8353.
Schools and Central Office closed for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
Tuesday, Jan. 18
Board of Education Awards & Recognitions Night
Wicomico High School
A Wicomico County Board of Education Awards & Recognitions Night will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, at Wicomico High School Auditorium to honor outstanding students, teachers, administrators, schools, programs and community partners. 410-677-4561. Recognitions on the program for Jan. 18 are:
Community Giving Activities
Wicomico County Reading Committee Bookmark Contest
All State Music Ensembles
High School Scholar Awards
Eastern Shore High School Mathematics Competition
ACC Tournament of Bands
Maryland Crab Bowl/Civil War Bowl
Unified Tennis State Champion
National Board Certified Teachers
WMDT Teacher Who Makes a Difference
Governor's Citations for Superior Maintenance
Recycling Winner
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Superintendent’s Open Door Session
Board of Education Office
A Superintendent’s Open Door Session will take place Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 4-6 p.m., in the Administrative Conference Room at the Board of Education Office. The Open Door Sessions are opportunities to meet one-on-one with Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen to discuss any issue, idea or concern. No appointments are made: Anyone interested in meeting with the superintendent should come to the Board office that day and sign in. Other Superintendent Open Door Sessions for this year are scheduled for Feb. 23, March 23, April 27 and May 25. 410-677-4495.
Thursday, Jan. 20
Multicultural Festival
Fruitland Primary School
Fruitland Primary School and its students and families will join in a Multicultural Festival from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20. The cultures of Italy, Chile, Ireland, Pakistan and Native Americans are among those that will be explored and celebrated through food, music, games, dances, storytelling and cultural artifacts. An Irish dance troupe from the Footsteps Dance Academy will be there to share Irish dancing. 410-677-5171.
Friday, Jan. 21
End of 2nd Marking Period (44 days)
Report cards distributed Jan. 31
Monday, Jan. 24 and Tuesday, Jan. 25
Professional Days
Schools closed for students. Central Office open.
Wednesday, Jan. 26
3rd Marking Period begins
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m.
WCCPTA Reflections Reception
Parkside High School
The Wicomico County Council of PTAs (WCCPTA) will hold a reception and awards ceremony at Parkside High School for the Reflections program. Many winning art and writing entries from Wicomico students will be displayed starting at 6 p.m., with awards starting at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m.
Evening High School Commencement
Prince Street Elementary
Friday, Jan. 28
3rd annual Operation SPEAK Oratorical Competition for Fifth-Graders from Prince Street, Pinehurst and Glen Avenue Schools
At Prince Street Elementary School
Prince Street Elementary will host the 3rd annual Operation SPEAK (Stimulate, Prepare & Encourage Articulate Kids) Oratorical Competition at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28. There will be fifth-grade students from three Title I school competing - Pinehurst, Glen Avenue and Prince Street. This program encourages 5th-grade students to compete first with students from their own school in writing, memorizing, and reciting a speech. Three students from each school will participate in the contest, which has been rescheduled for Jan. 28 after being postponed by a snow day on Dec. 17. Each student will have two to four minutes to present a prepared speech on either this quote from John Crudele: “Kids Spell Love T-I-M-E,” or Jesse Jackson’s quote, “Your children need your presence more than your presents.” Winners will be eligible for trophies and monetary awards. This year’s Operation SPEAK Oratorical Competition is supported by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. For information please contact Tana Ellis at 410-677-5813 or tellis@wcboe.org.
Saturdays, March 5-April 30
Budding Authors 101
Sojourner Douglass College
Students in grades 4-6 can become published authors by taking The Balanced-Families Budding Authors 101 course. During this eight-week program, children will complete a workbook that helps them to complete each portion of their book. At the end of the program, each completed story will be submitted to a professional graphic designer who will create the pictures and cover for each book based on the children’s drawings and ideas. Completed books will be available two to four weeks after the program ends. Books can be showcased at schools, online at the Budding Authors website, and at local exhibits, bookfairs and bookstores. Classes will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Saturdays, March 5-April 30. The cost is $120 per student for a black and white script and pictures, or $200 for black and white script and color pictures. Classes will be held at Sojourner Douglass College, 408 Coles Circle, #D, Salisbury. For information please call Connie Stewart of Balanced-Families at 443-525-8353.